Engaging Financial Education for K–12
In 2021, Stash acquired a virtual bank and investment simulation called “Stash101.” The platform already had a few thousand teachers using it daily with K–12 students in classrooms across the country. Commonly referred to as a “classroom economy,” it had many features designed to teach personal finance and simultaneously function as a behavior management tool.
I was thrilled to lead the creative vision for Stash101, working on branding, product design, user research, marketing efforts, and curriculum design. This sub-brand expanded my creative horizons and united my two greatest passions—design and education.
Carving out a Sub-Brand
Stash101 needed to align with the mission of Stash, while differentiating itself as a separate product targeting a new, more specific audience—teachers. With this in mind, I set out to define the Stash101 mission, brand identity, and voice. I learned the ins and outs of the product and spoke to many Stash101 teachers.
Stash Mission
Stash is on a mission to empower everyday Americans to build wealth—by making investing simple and affordable.
Stash Personality
Motivated | Optimistic | Confident | Informed
Stash101 Mission
Stash101 empowers the next generation with the skills and knowledge to successfully navigate their financial lives.
Stash101 Personality
Motivated | Optimistic | Confident | Curious
Curiosity fuels growth. Our teachers and students are creative collaborators, co-constructing their virtual classroom economies as they evolve together throughout the course of the school year.
Visual Identity & Voice
The brand identity of Stash101 is rooted in the excitement and curiosity of our classroom communities. With our highly customizable and flexible tool in their hands, our teachers lay the foundation for their individualized classroom economies. With their teacher’s support, our students confidently build their virtual financial realities—gaining responsibility and control over a critical puzzle-piece of their adult lives from an early age.
Social Media Strategy
Launching the website and setting up basic lifecycle email campaigns were the first priorities for Stash101. However, the brand shined in the space where we could connect directly with our teachers—our social media channels. Here’s a look into my work planning the social media strategy.
Stash101 Substack Blog
To further connect with our community and demonstrate the possibilities of Stash101, we created a blog on Substack. Stash101 teachers shared personal stories about how the product and curriculum transformed their classrooms.